Google said to be close to getting Android Wear watches to work with iPhones

It's been rumored and reported for a while now that Google was working to get Android Wear to be properly compatible with the iPhone, and it appears that they're rapidly approaching the point of actually seeing a release. According to The Verge:

In its current state of development, Android Wear works along with a companion app on the iPhone and supports basic functions like notifications — as you can see in the photo below. As it does on Android, on the iPhone Android Wear also supports Google Now's ambient information cards, voice search, and other voice actions. It should also support some more advanced features with Google's own iOS apps, like replying to Gmail messages.

Enterprising code spelunkers have found references to iOS in Android Wear's code on previous occasions, and some have even managed to get the watch to work on a basic level with iPhones. But proper integration, something that would even start to approach what Android Wear can do when paired with an Android device, or even the Apple Watch, will require the companion app that Google's been working on.

For what it's worth, Android Wear on Android needs a companion app, Pebble on both iPhone and Android needs a companion app, and even the Apple Watch uses a companion app (though that's mostly for management of the device and not enabling basic functions).

Whatever happens, it'll be nice to see additional choices for wearable accessories for iPhone users. There are issues to overcome, sure, though if Pebble's success getting developers to build tie-ins to their iOS apps is any indication, Google might do alright if Wear for iPhone ever comes to fruition.